diff --git a/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/emacs.nix b/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/emacs.nix
index e3c265de..c9c128bc 100644
--- a/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/emacs.nix
+++ b/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/emacs.nix
@@ -4,11 +4,15 @@ let
   emacsWithPackages = (pkgs.emacsPackagesGen myEmacs).emacsWithPackages;
 in
   emacsWithPackages (epkgs: (with epkgs.melpaStablePackages; [
-    magit          # ; Integrate git <C-x g>
-    zerodark-theme # ; Nicolas' theme
-  ]) ++ (with epkgs.melpaPackages; [
-
-  ]) ++ (with epkgs.elpaPackages; [
+    magit
+    solarized-theme
+    evil
+  ])
+  ++ (with epkgs.melpaPackages; [
+    xterm-color
+    nix-mode
+  ])
+  ++ (with epkgs.elpaPackages; [
     beacon         # ; highlight my cursor when scrolling
     nameless       # ; hide current package name everywhere in elisp code
   ]) ++ [
diff --git a/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/home.nix b/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/home.nix
index 6edba4c3..5c939b7b 100644
--- a/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/home.nix
+++ b/nixos/home-manager/programs/emacs/home.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 { config, pkgs, ... }:
 {
+  home.file.".emacs".text = ''
+    (require 'package)
+
+    ;; optional. makes unpure packages archives unavailable
+    (setq package-archives nil)
+
+    (setq package-enable-at-startup nil)
+    (package-initialize)
+
+    (require 'xterm-color)
+    (progn (add-hook 'comint-preoutput-filter-functions 'xterm-color-filter)
+       (setq comint-output-filter-functions (remove 'ansi-color-process-output comint-output-filter-functions)))
+
+
+    (set-terminal-parameter nil 'background-mode 'dark)
+    (xterm-mouse-mode 1)
+
+    (require 'evil)
+    (evil-mode 1)
+  '';
   programs.emacs = {
     enable = true;
     package = (import ./emacs.nix { inherit pkgs; });